1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for creating an incision in a patient's blood vessel.
2. Prior Art
Vascular incisions are typically made using an implement such as a scalpel or scissors.
For instance, in coronary artery bypass surgery and other vascular angiostomy techniques, when performing an end-to-side anastomosis between the internal thoracic artery and the left coronary artery, for example, first an incision is made in the left coronary artery, then the incision is anastomotized to the end of the internal thoracic artery. In such cases, the incision is formed with a scalpel or scissors, and the procedure is dependent on the skill of the surgeon. Moreover, the required incision length is typically arrived at by gradually enlarging a small initial incision through repeated use of the scalpel or scissors.
When creating an incision in a blood vessel with a scalpel or scissors, cutting must be carried out with utmost care to achieve an incision of the desired length. Such cutting is also time-consuming.
Even when an incision is made with great patience and care, the desired incision length is not always obtained. This approach thus lacks precision. Achieving the desired incision length in this way is especially difficult when the patient's heart is beating.